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REGULATOR WARNS HIGHER FINES ON THE CARDS FOR ILLEGAL GAMBLING ADS

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REMAKE OF KEY NSW GAMBLING REGS
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Online betting operators have been issued with more than $100,000 in fines over the past week as Liquor & Gaming NSW continues to take a zero-tolerance approach to the publication of illegal gambling inducements.

Most recently, online betting provider BetDeluxe has been fined $70,000 for publishing illegal gambling inducements after being prosecuted by Liquor & Gaming NSW.

This follows the successful prosecution of PointsBet, which was fined a total of $35,000 for publishing illegal gambling inducements last week, after receiving a $20,000 fine for the same offences in 2019.

Hospitality and Racing CEO, Anthony Keon said Liquor & Gaming NSW was continuing to pro-actively monitor online betting providers and it was completely unacceptable that seven bookmakers have been prosecuted on multiple occasions since 2018.

“Liquor & Gaming NSW will continue to actively pursue operators for illegal advertisements and advocate for the courts to issue higher penalties,” Mr Keon said.

“In 2018 the NSW Government introduced new laws to significantly increase penalties for wagering operators who are found guilty of promoting inducements to gamble, with maximum fines now set at $110,000 per offence for a corporation.

“Clearly some of these operators think gambling inducements are just the cost of doing business, but they are wrong, and they are pushing their luck. We will continue to bring these matters before the courts and seek higher penalties that reflect community expectations.”

In Downing Centre Local Court yesterday (18/5), BetDeluxe pleaded guilty to five offences that included 21 Facebook promotions for bonus bets on sports games and enhanced odds on horse racing.

In addition to the $70,000 in fines, BetDeluxe has also been ordered to pay $8,500 in legal costs. This is the first time the company has been prosecuted for this type of offence.

PointsBet pleaded guilty to two advertisements that included an Instagram promotion to get $50 back in bonus bets, similar to those it offered in 2019 on the Apple App Store, promising $100 cash back on certain bets.

“Prohibitions on gambling inducements are an important harm minimisation measure and the increase in maximum penalties, along with our continued prosecution action, should send a clear message to wagering operators about how seriously we view these matters,” Mr Keon said.

“Reoffenders run the risk of the higher range penalties, and more scrutiny, so let me be clear that patterns of poor compliance are not worth the trouble.

“We hope this is the first and last time we see BetDeluxe in court for gambling inducements.”

Since 2015, Liquor & Gaming NSW has successfully prosecuted 37 matters for prohibited gambling advertising, resulting in over $642,500 in fines, with nine betting providers currently before the courts.

 

Australia

ACMA Blocks More Illegal Offshore Gambling Websites

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The ACMA has requested that Australian internet service providers (ISPs) block more illegal offshore gambling websites, after investigations found 5 services to be operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. The latest sites blocked include Viperspin, Just Casino, Betandplay, Play Fina and Comic Play Casino.

Since the ACMA made its first blocking request, 835 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. 215 illegal services have pulled out of the Australian market since the ACMA started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.

Website blocking is one of a range of enforcement options to protect Australians against illegal online gambling.

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Australia

NSW Govt Announces $100M Funding Injection to Reduce Gambling Harm

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The New South Wales (NSW) government has announced a $100 million funding injection to reduce gambling harm across the state.

The funding for gambling harm minimisation comes as part of the first Minns Labor Government Budget and is the next step in the government’s long-term commitment to tackle money laundering, implement gaming reform, and reduce the harmful impacts of gambling across communities.

The NSW Government will redirect the $100 million fine imposed on Star Casino by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) over 5 years to fund harm minimisation initiatives.

This huge funding injection will allow for the enhancement of services and initiatives to reduce harm in the community from gambling including:

  • $10 million additional investment in 2023-24 for the Responsible Gambling Fund, through the Office of Responsible Gambling, for the provision of GambleAware counselling and support services, awareness and education campaigns and initiatives like Reclaim the Game, and to support world-leading gambling research.
  • $6.4 million to enhance self-exclusion and introduce third-party exclusions in pubs and clubs.
  • $3.4 million for the independent expert panel, established in July this year, to run and evaluate a 12-month cashless gaming trial in pubs and clubs, with expressions of interests recently called for venues to take part.
  • $21.7 million each year, for 3 years from financial year 24-25, to fund other gambling harm minimisation initiatives and reforms, including those recommended by the Independent Panel.

“This government has a clear focus and is committed to evidence-based reform. We know that when gambling becomes a problem, it is harmful to the person and the people around them, negatively impacting relationships, work life, finances and physical and mental wellbeing,” David Harris, Minister for Gaming and Racing, said.

Since being elected in March, the Minns Labor Government has banned political donations from clubs involved in gaming, established an independent panel to oversee a comprehensive trial of cashless gaming and recommend a roadmap for gaming reform in NSW. It has also reduced the cash input limit from $5000 to $500 for all new poker machines since July 1, slashed the number of gaming machine entitlements allowed in NSW by more than 3000 and banned all external gambling-related signage since September 1.

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Australia

VGCCC Charges Tabcorp and Eight Venues for Allegedly Allowing a Minor to Gamble

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The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has charged Tabcorp along with eight venues for allegedly allowing a minor to gamble in breach of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003. Tabcorp faces a total of 54 charges, including 27 counts of allowing a minor to gamble and failing to reasonably supervise its electronic betting terminals.

The venue operators and a TAB agency face allegations they allowed a minor to gamble on 27 occasions between 8 September and 1 November 2022.

The venue operators have been charged with allowing a minor to gamble, allowing a minor within a gaming machine area and failure to ensure gambling vending machines were reasonably supervised at all times. The TAB agency has been charged with allowing a minor to gamble and failing to ensure reasonable supervision of its electronic betting terminals.

The venues are the Olympic Hotel, the Brunswick Club, the Edwardes Lake Hotel, the Parkview Hotel, the Albion Charles Hotel, the Doncaster Hotel, the Rose Shamrock & Thistle Hotel and the Northcote TAB Agency.

If found guilty, the operators face a maximum collective fine of more than one million dollars, while Tabcorp could face a maximum fine of $698,997.60.

VGCCC CEO Annette Kimmitt AM said: “One of the most serious harms is allowing minors to gamble. All gambling venues must ensure they do not accept a bet from a minor and must ask for identification from anyone they suspect could be underage.”

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